2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism

Shawn Fleetwood won the 2025 Dao Grand Prize, $100,000, with the rest of The Federalist staff for their series on the Russia collusion hoax.

Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood

Here are some of their reports on the collusion hoax:

Jake Tapper Is Lying About CNN’s Key Role In The Russia Collusion Hoax, Mollie Hemingway, October 29, 2024

EXCLUSIVE: Henchmen Behind Brennan’s Fake Russia Collusion Assessment Are Still At The CIA, Margot Cleveland, July 10, 2025

Report: Russia Hoax Was Built On ‘One Scant, Unclear, And Unverifiable Fragment Of A Sentence’, Breccan F. Thies, July 23, 2025

EXCLUSIVE: ‘This Should NOT Be Included’ — Read Intel Officials’ Objections To ‘Extremely Sketchy’ Steele Dossier, Margot Cleveland and Mollie Hemingway, July 24, 2025

EXCLUSIVE: DOJ Official Who Approved $2 Million Payout To Disgraced Russia Hoaxers Identified As Left-Wing Activist Brian Netter, Mollie Hemingway, August 1, 2025

BREAKING: DOJ Requests DNI Documents Following Gabbard Criminal Referral On Russiagate Conspiracy, Sean Davis, August 5, 2025